The path will be gradual, but we will return - on this Draghi has no doubts - to the ordinary pension system designed by the Fornero law. There is no question of returning to the contributory system.

And it is on this that the break between the Prime Minister and the trade unions took place at Palazzo Chigi a few hours after the launch of the maneuver, expected on Thursday in the Council of Ministers.

There is therefore no "overall reform" that the CGIL, CISL and UIL were asking for. And the tones are even more sour when, after a couple of hours, the premier leaves the table "for another commitment" and entrusts the discussion to his ministers.

By now the margins to recompose are not there. It can be negotiated on the exit route from the current quota 100, but not on the arrival point, which is the Fornero and the contributory method.

Relations are also tense with the majority, in particular with the Lega, which proposes a mega-exit at 63 or 64 years in 2022 alone, to postpone a more comprehensive intervention to the next government.

Quota 100, which expires on 31 December, provides for early retirement with 62 years of age and 38 contributions. Fornero, on the other hand, provides for leaving work at the age of 67 or with 42 years and 10 months of contributions (one less for women). There are various hypotheses to gradually exit the provision wanted by the League, which will not be renewed, and return to the Fornero regime.

- One, designed by Minister Franco, is the early exit from work with Quota 102 in 2022 and 2023, then Quota 104 in 2024.

- Another is Quota 102 in 2022, Quota 103 in 2023 and Quota 104 in 2024.

- Still, two years of quota 102 and then return to Fornero.

With a quota of 102 those born in 1958 will be able to retire in 2022, in 2023 it will be up to those born in 1959. Quota 104 is the most restrictive, you retire at 66 years of age.

THE UNIONS - The meeting did not go well, they said, they expected a reform of the system and not a return to Fornero.

Luigi Sbarra of the CISL speaks of "great shortcomings and imbalances, due to the lack of dialogue with the social partners": the measures are "largely insufficient both for pensions, for social safety nets and for non self-sufficiency", he adds. "Only" 600 million are not enough, underline Pierpaolo Bombardieri of Uil and Maurizio Landini of CGIL: "it is not a reform worthy of the name". So, general strike? "If the government confirms this approach on Thursday, we will evaluate joint mobilization initiatives", Landini replies.

SOCIAL APE AND WOMEN'S OPTION - We are also moving towards an extension of one year for the social Ape, with an extension to new categories of heavy work, and for the women's option. These are requests that all the governing parties had made to Mario Draghi.

(Unioneonline / L)

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